Street food in India is rooted in its rich food history and is an integral part of local food heritage. The popularity of ready-to-eat food and beverages served by street food vendors is driven by two key factors: affordability and accessibility. The latest move by the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to develop 100 food streets in 100 districts across the country is a laudable initiative and will encourage safe and healthy food at street food outlets. Altogether 11 food streets exist in the northeast region, four in Assam and one in each of the other seven states. Figuring in the list is an opportunity for the region to leverage its rich food heritage to promote street food vending as a sustainable livelihood alternative as well as successful food entrepreneurship. The large variety of traditional cuisines in the region make it easier for food entrepreneurs to innovate delicious and healthy fusion food. Financial assistance of Rs 1 crore for each food street will be given under this initiative, which will be implanted with the technical support of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The assistance will be given under the National Health Mission with the condition that standard branding of these food markets will be done as per FSSAI guidelines. The aim of this project, the government says, is to encourage safe and healthy food practises among food businesses and community members, thus reducing food-borne illnesses and improving overall health outcomes. The pilot project takes note of the fact that while street food outlets have increased accessibility to food, unhygienic and unsafe food practises have also aggravated the problem of food contamination and associated health issues. According to FSSAI, of the about 1 crore street vendors in the country, about 20 lakh are street food vendors, which is indicative of the growing demand for street food. The landscape of food streets in cities like Guwahati is also changing, with the number of food trucks gradually rising along with the number of food carts. Compared to food carts, food trucks have higher mobility, more space, and a longer menu. The advantage of a food cart is that it is less expensive, therefore requiring less capital to start, and can be managed by one person. A food truck, on the other hand, requires at least two or more employees and has more space for food storage, which also makes it easier to keep it clean and hygienic and offer consumers a wide range of fresh cooked food. While pushing for safe and hygienic street food, the government needs to ensure that food trucks do not push out small street food vendors running their businesses on food carts. The livelihood of food cart vendors can be protected by building awareness among them about the regulatory regime for food safety and creating the ecosystem for giving top priority to serving clean and hygienic food. Authorities making available safe drinking water on food streets can be the first effective intervention in ensuring food safety. Many street food vendors buy and store water from suppliers without ascertaining if it is safe and fit for cooking and human consumption. Secondly, the dishes are washed in an unhygienic manner, which becomes another source of food contamination. Poor quality of edible cooking medium also affects food safety, but some food vendors compromise on the quality to maximise profits, which is harmful for consumers. Frequent inspection of street food outlets by food safety inspectors is necessary to ensure that food safety standards are strictly adhered to by vendors. Building consumer awareness of food safety is also equally important so that they are empowered to insist on hygienic food preparation. Prominent display of dos and don’ts on food safety along food streets and awareness campaigns on social media networks can raise awareness among street food vendors as well as consumers. Apart from food safety, putting in place a proper management system for the collection and disposal of food wastes and scraps is vital to ensuring overall cleanliness and hygiene in the street food business. Vendors equipped with segregation of biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes and the local authorities ensuring timely collection and disposal need to be prioritised. Traditional food practises among indigenous communities in the region have many elements of hygiene maintenance that can be showcased to street vendors to inculcate. Apart from beautiful landscape, forest, and wildlife, traditional food heritage is also a great attraction for domestic and foreign tourists. Safe and hygienic food streets will be an additional attraction for tourists apart from health-conscious local residents, which will help street food vendors earn more profits. The pilot project for developing the ideal, safe, and hygienic food street becoming successful will be crucial for ensuring a ripple effect on other food streets and the overall street food business. North-eastern states having an adequate number of food safety inspectors will be crucial to achieving desired objectives.